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The Dogs
WFW's Double Agent The Dogs. Episode Three, Season One of Double Agent. Enjoy! ''So, you still want to hear the story? Isn't it getting late for you, little one? Very well. But just one more. Here, have some of this nice carp. So, where were we? Ah, I remember. When Snowfeather spotted the dogs… '' The Dogs ''Dogs! '' My fur raises in alarm and my legs lock in terror. Windpaw shoots out of her hiding place and races up the moor, wailing. I drop my herbs and run after her, feeling like every sprig of heather is tripping me. At last, I reach the crest of a hill and peer down at the landscape. Oddly, the first thing that catches my eye is the Moor River as it glints in the sun. ''That’s odd. I don’t remember it being there before. '' “ Attack!” Harestar’s yowls wrenches me away from my thoughts. The WindClan cats streak across the moor, like rabbits fleeing their warrens. And that’s when I see the dogs. “ Killer-dogs.” I whisper. The sight chills my blood. Four of them charge down the moor, but I know that number of them equals a Clan. Their pelts are mottled black-and-brown, sleek and glossy. It stretches over hard muscle and a lean frame. Their face and snout is pointy. White fangs dripping drool glint dangerously in the sun. Their growling and snarling is like thunder. Suddenly, a furious screech rips the air. I look down and spot Brightcloud flinging herself at a dog’s flank. It lets out a bark that trails into a growl and picks her off like a flea. She lands on the ground, and it looms above her. Before I know what I’m doing, my feet fly down towards her. I take a tremendous leap and lands on the dog’s back. It yelps and rears up. That’s when I regain my senses. “Snowfeather!” Brightcloud screams. My head is pounding. ''I am so stupid. ''I dig into the dog’s thick fur with all my might. Blood wells on my paws. The dog shrieks and snaps it’s head around. I see the angry depths of its amber eyes, alight with fury and bloodlust. It curls its lip, slowly revealing yellow, jagged fangs. A malicious glint appears in its eyes. Quick as a flash, I reach out and swipe at its nose. The dog howls and tips its head back in agony. I tremble with fear and shock, not knowing how I did it, not wanting to think about what would happen if I didn’t have this luck. The dog sinks to the ground and I leap of its back, then race away for dear life. ''StarClan, save me! '' “Snowfeather? How did you…” an awestruck voice hisses. I stop running, chest burning. Windpaw peers out of a gorse bush, something like respect in her eyes. Then it hits me. ''I reacted like a warrior. A medicine cat would have collected herbs and watched from the bush. ''I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I know my time in ShadowClan has something to do with it. I turn back to the battle, not sure how to answer. I’ve seen fights before, but this is vicious. The evening sun glares down on the cats and dogs. Whenever one rears up, five cats jump up like a shoal of fish and bring it down. It’s a sea of writhing pelts. I can hear my own breath. The yowls of pain and anger, the metallic scent of blood and the occasional cry of horror blare in my ears. Feeling like a coward, I crouch down with my paws over my head. And then… “ ShadowClan!” my head shoots up. Appleleaf perches on a nearby rock and narrows her eyes into the distant. I widen my eyes in shock. What are they doing here? I race to Appleleaf’s side and gasp. It seems like the whole Clan is chasing six more dogs down the hill. A sense of betrayal burns in my stomach, but I have no idea why. ''Did they set the dogs on us? ''I think back to Frozenwhisker, and suddenly all he says seems false. “ No!” Appleleaf growls beside me. I jump, forgetting she was there. “ What?” “ Where is my daughter?” Appleleaf growls, green eyes as hard as flint. “ Over there,” I wave my tail at the gorse bush. “ Keep her safe, okay? If something happens to me…” her voice tapers off. She shakes herself and gives me a hard stare again. “ I know you don’t like her, but if you show her you appreciate her, she’ll respect you.” “ I will,” I say. Appleleaf opens her mouth to reply, but a dog bowls her over. I stare at the ShadowClan patrol again, even closer now. Then I see darker, larger shapes behind it. A sudden, dizzying sense of relief overcomes me. ''So they didn’t set the dogs on us after all. They’re being chased. ''Feeling optimistic now, I survey the fight again. ''We can win. '' “ I’m coming, Mistleaf!” I say, seeing the dainty tortoiseshell backed against a fallen tree. The dog is huge, but I can see it is tired. It has nicks in its pointed ears, and blood smeared all over its fur. I yowl in defiance and swipe at its muzzle. The dogs hops back. “ Get away from my Clan!” I ram my head into its chest, and the creature staggers backwards. To my surprise, it turns tail and runs away. “ Oh yes. ''That’s ''what you get when you mess with me,” I spit at the dirt in its trail. Then I feel surprised at myself. ''Making threats like a warrior? ''I feel afraid. Why am I changing? “ What are ''you ''doing here?” Mistleaf and another tom ask at the same time. I whirl around and stifle a cry of horror. It’s Reedflame. Mistleaf growls. “ Did you set the dogs on us?” “ I would have loved to, but we got chased here.” Reedflame snorts. He flicks his ears in my direction, and I know he’s going to look at me soon. Quickly, I plunge back into the fray before he can recognize me. I switch into warrior mode. Snowfeather the medicine cat can wait. I help Grasspelt and a ShadowClan tom I’ve never met fight off a stocky dog. To my surprise, the WindClan cats join their neighbors in fighting. ''How ironic. In our times of danger, we are united. In our times of peace, we are at each other’s throats. ''As I knock away another kill-dog, I find myself at the edge of the elevated area we are fighting on. Below is the Moor River, coiled around the ground like a snake. ''It shouldn’t be there. ''I could have sworn it was a few fox-lengths back. I look down. And suddenly, my whole world spirals. “ Help me!” Appleleaf’s terrified screech comes to my ears. A kill-dog is on her, nipping at her hind legs and making her fall over in an attempt to avoid its jaws. It picks her up and hangs her from his jaws like a piece of prey. Then, another yowl catches my attention. “ Frozenwhisker,” I gasp. The cream-and-white tom is backed at the edge of the river. Water splashes around his feet as he rears up and tackles two kill-dogs. The smaller one darts at his flank. Frozenwhisker flinches, and I see blood mix with the water below him. Suddenly, the larger of the two sends him flying backwards into the water. Frozenwhisker lets out a yowl of shock before he goes under. Panic rises into my chest. ''Please be okay… please be okay… '' “ Let go of me!” Appleleaf howls and twists around, clawing at the dog’s cheek. “ Get away from me!” Frozenwhisker yowls. He’s lost his ground. He cannot swim. And then, it hits me. ''It’s a choice. Save one, let the other die. '' “ It’s obvious, isn’t it, Snowfeather?” I say desperately. “ Save your Clanmate.” ''But Frozenwhisker is my Clanmate too. ''I wince at the thought, but I cannot forget his kindness. ''And I am a member of ShadowClan as well. ''My head feels like it is splitting in two. Does the fate of one of these cats really rest on my shoulders? I have to save Appleleaf. But Frozenwhisker has two dogs on him… I let out a moan. Luckily, Appleleaf makes the decision for me. She gets a lucky hit and sends her dog spinning away. I am relieved. Appleleaf knows what she’s doing. Letting out a furious yowl, I plunder down the hill until I reach Frozenwhisker’s side. I charge into the little dog and he backs away. I show my teeth and leap at his face. My teeth click shut near his neck, but that’s enough warning for him. Howling, he speeds away. “S-snowfeather?” Frozenwhisker gasps, confused. I could have killed myself. He’s bound to recognize me. Flattening my ears, I back away and race for the hills. But a bloodcurdling wail hits my ears and I skid to a halt. It’s coming from back where I was. I slowly turn and stare down the hill. And… “ Appleleaf?” I choke. Lying there, covered in blood, is the body of Appleleaf. And crouched beside her is Windpaw. She tips her head back and lets out another awful wail. My heart nearly stops. I stumble down to her side as she finishes another wail. Appleleaf’s eyes are glazed over, and they are looking straight at her daughter. Her neck is ripped open and blood is pooling around. I gently press a clump of moor grass against the wound, trying to make the bleeding stop. But deep down, a burning guilt and horror is in my heart. ''This is my fault. ''I saved Frozenwhisker, not her. I let my own birth-Clanmate die. I stroke my tail across her fur, but it refuses to lie flat. It’s as if she doesn’t want to hide the fact that she died fighting. But that is fine. ''She was a brave warrior. The bravest I ever knew. '' “ Why, Snowfeather?” I look and Windpaw. Her eyes are acute with grief. “ Why does it happen?” My heart brakes for the young cat. “ Because it is StarClan’s will. And sometimes, Windpaw, not even us medicine cats understand it.” And then, Windpaw’s eyes light with fire. “ It’s was ''your ''fault! You let her die!” she wails. “ I saw you, I saw you! You helped that tom. You left my mother to die!” “ Don’t you think I-” “ I don’t want your two-faced apologies! I will discover your secret, Snowfeather. And you’ll be sorry you killed my mother,” Windpaw snarls. She grabs Appleleaf’s scruff between her jaws and drags her up the moor. I’ve decided to stay another moon in WindClan. My Clanmates need me. I am their healer. I do my best to patch up the wounds the dogs left, but there are scars. And some, like Windpaw’s, are too deep to heal. The moon is full on the night of the funeral. A hush has fallen over the Clan. In front of us lie the bodies of our fallen Clanmates. Grasspelt. Brightcloud. Willowfall. And, most painful of all, Appleleaf. Our Clanmates have dug graves in the center of camp, to keep them with us always. Grasspelt, the loyal deputy is first. Brightcloud, my friend since kithood, is next. The sorrow threatens to overwhelm me as her ginger-and-white fur is buried and visible for the last time. Willowfall, the she-cat who taught me how to hunt, follows. Before Appleleaf can be buried, I step forwards and point my tail to a nightingale perching on a nearby bush. As if on cue, it begins to sing. “ Hear it sing, Clanmates. This is Appleleaf’s song.” Every cat closes their eyes. I close my own and hope for forgiveness. I close my eyes and pretend I can see Appleleaf with Windkit, happy as mother-and-daughter can be. I close my eyes and pretend that the sweet song with carry my worries away. Category:WFW 1 Category:WFW's Double Agent Enjoyed? you can read the next episode here :) Category:Warriorfan123's Fan fics